Phoebe Kemble of Kemble Kitchens shares three recipes to make your holidays a little more delicious. Plus, see the fairytale hideaway of Celerie Kemble here.

What is your food philosophy?

I believe that a delicious meal can change your day and mood for the better. A good, well-balanced meal is more than just something we need to survive, its something to look forward to and crave, even if it isn't nutritionally necessary. However, the small details are what make an ordinary meal a great meal. The key to this transformation is high quality, seasonal ingredients cooked with care and love. I always look for fresh, local produce, fish and meat when I'm cooking and swear it makes all the difference.

When did you fall in love with the art of cooking?

I fell in love with the magic of cooking from an early age. I remember watching in fear and awe at my father's delight while he created the most amazing meals out of crazy ingredients and leftovers. He is the original chef of the family. I also remember my mom always making us the most delicious crepes on the weekends (her gift to the kitchen, outside of beauty & design) and watching her whip them without a recipe, just letting, love, luck, and butter guide her. Also, I think spending most of my adolescence sniffing around the local supermarket with my nanny, Rosa, as my after-school activity, probably encouraged my love for playing in the kitchen. Gradually, I guess, it just turned in to my thing, my hobby, and gift to friends and family. Nothing makes me happier than finding the perfect fruit, vegetable or piece of meat and creating something that brings a smile to their faces. For me, it is a process that's a direct path to pleasure.

What are your earliest memories of cooking? Family traditions?

Family time was kitchen time growing up and we have a very small kitchen that is always the hub of the house. To this day, it comfortably seats 4, but is almost always filled with every member of the family, old and new, big and small, usually fighting over the last piece of bacon. I guess our oldest family tradition is the pleasure of food and in sharing it. It has become more than just a tradition; it has become a way of life and a challenge, which is always rewarding. In my family, when we taste something we love, we want to share it (sometime that goes for something stinky too) and everyone has a fork in someone else's plate (whether they realize it or not). Sometimes we fight over it, sometime we fight about it and sometimes we even travel for it, but regardless, food has always been a part of our family history and what binds us. More modern traditions that take place in the same tiny kitchen: Someone refusing to peel the potatoes. Someone pointing out why we should have gone out to dinner. Someone hiding his or her wine glass. Someone stealing someone else's wine glass. Someone being called a tyrant.

What especially does food and the holidays mean to you?

Split pants. Just kidding, mostly. This is a 3-part answer: My stomach responds first with a ferocious growl at the thought of the Murray's famous (and much fought after) coffeecake and Aunt Peggy's insanely decadent cheese & pate schmorgaasborg from C'est Si Bon. I'm ashamed to admit that I usually try to hide a fair amount of both, before the little thieves/monsters in our house devour them before Christmas day. Part 2: It is an emotional reaction. Specific smells and holiday meals remind me of home and family. Since I live in London, the holidays are usually the only time I get to see my whole family together, which usually means lots of indulgent over eating and all the emotions that come with it. Part 3: I honestly can't look at a Thanksgiving turkey without bursting into an awkward mixture of laughter and tears, as it reminds me of my father's annual hunt for "the missing turkey leg". Every Thanksgiving he sneaks away from the table, ferociously looking/rummaging through the kitchen (regardless if he's in someone's house or a restaurant) looking for "his" turkey leg. He's like bear on a mission, knowing that there are 2 succulent leg's going to waste and they're all his, if he can get his paws on it. And when he emerges victorious, beaming from ear to ear, with a giant leg in hand, caveman style, I'm so proud of him and kind of grossed out at the same time. In short, cooking and food is how we've always come together, a meeting point, conversation starter, a way to nurture each other and show our love.

RECIPES

I spend most of my holidays, at home, in Palm Beach, Florida, where I grew up. I understand that the idea of a warm Christmas under decorated palm trees might seem quite odd to most, but we still celebrate the holidays with all the fixings and love to eat hearty holiday meals like it's a winter wonderland outside.

The menu I've created hits a little of both worlds, with 2 warm and cozy autumn dishes broken apart by a crisp vegetable salad that cleanses the palate and pampers with each truffle-scented bite. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

Cheers, Phoebe

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Serves 8-10

I love this recipe because it's easy to make and tastes delicious on everything, a cracker, and a piece of bread, crudité or even eaten straight with a spoon. No judging here.

*Notes: I always prefer fresh artichoke hearts/bottoms but they add so much extra time and I find good quality canned or frozen artichoke hearts/bottoms work just as well with this dish. However, which ever brand you end up buying, make sure they are NOT in vinaigrette style liquid or oil, as it changes flavor of the artichokes completely. One can is equal to about 4 globe artichoke hearts.

Method: Drain, run water over artichokes to remove excess salt/brine, set aside to dry. Cut artichoke bottoms/heart into bite sized pieces, set half aside. Gently cook spinach until wilted. Drain cooked spinach thoroughly. (There will be lots of water from the spinach, so make sure you squeeze out all excess water, as it needs to be dry.) Once drained, chop up the cooked spinach and season with salt + pepper to your taste. Set aside. Place garlic cloves, 1 tsp. of salt, whole container of cream cheese and half of the artichokes into food processor. Blend until purred. (If you don't have food processor, finely chop and mix together to form a paste.) Cut Monterrey Jack into small bite sized pieces. Gently mix artichoke puree, artichoke pieces, cheese and spinach together in bowl, until combined. Taste to see if mixture needs more salt + pepper. Pour into oven safe dish, sprinkle top with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20mins in 180°C/375°F oven or until golden brown and bubbly. (Please note, the cooked dip will expand a bit in oven and when transferred to dish, the cheese should be stringy. Uncooked dip freezes well, just needs to cook a bit longer if placed in oven frozen.)

Shaved Raw Vegetable Salad with a White Truffle Vinaigrette.

Serves 6-8

After all the heavy holiday canapés and cheese plates I cannot seem to ignore, I find myself craving this salad. I love it for its incredible mixture of bright and earthy flavors as well as its vibrant holiday colors. And the truffle vinaigrette! I swear I was a truffle pig in a former life or will be in the next.

* Inspired by the shaved radish and celeriac salad with pomegranate, pecorino and truffle oil at Boca di lupo, London

Notes: Please note that when using a mandolin, take great care, as they are extremely sharp and can be dangerous. I don't shave the entire vegetable down; in order to keep my hands from getting too close to that sharp blade and the remaining vegetable bits/ends make great soup additions.

Dressing: Mix the vinegar, lemon juice and oils together, season, taste and set aside. (I love acidic vinaigrette's, but if too sharp for your taste, add more olive oil to mellow the flavor)

Method: Wash and dry all the vegetables, remove stems & greens, set aside. Wash and dry the arugula, set aside. Remove seeds from the pomegranate. Peel the celery root. Thinly shave all vegetables, using a mandolin or food processor with attachment. Combine vegetable shavings, arugula and pomegranate seeds in a bowl and toss with the 1⁄2 truffle vinaigrette. Season with salt & pepper and add more dressing to your taste.

Shepherds Pie with Roasted Root Vegetables

Serves 6-8

I'm a huge fan of the gastro pub scene in London and I have eaten more meat & potatoes than I thought possible/care to admit. That said, my take on the local pub favorite, shepherd's pie, is not your average shepherds pie. This dish is more like a truffled mac + cheese or a Pat LaFrieda burger: a gourmet take on the classic. Yes, it is filled with ground lamb, topped with mashed potatoes, and bursting with hearty winter flavors, but it is sneakily packed with more vegetables than you'd ever imagine.

Meat: Place onions + garlic in large pot with olive oil and cook over medium heat until translucent in color. Add ground lamb, herbs, soy sauce and seasoning to the pot, stirring constantly with cooking spoon/spatula to create fine texture/ break up larger pieces of the meat. Once meat is cooked all the way through, remove from heat, drain excess liquid and set aside to cool. DO NOT THROW out the liquid, this is the meat liquor that helps make the dish so delicious and you'll cook the vegetables in it. Deglaze pan with the wine, taking care to scrap any of the caramelized bits on the bottom and add liquid to the meat liquor.

Vegetables: Wash, dry, de-stem, peel and chop all the vegetables. Roast tomatoes for 15 mins in a pre-heated oven at 350°F/180°C with a sprinkle of salt until cooked. In same pot you cooked the lamb, add all the root vegetables and leeks to the pan. Pour the meat liquor on top and slowly cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender to the bite. Add the kale, and continue to cook for a minute or so, until wilted. Remove from heat, drain vegetables, save liquid, and set aside to cool. Combine vegetables, roasted tomatoes, lamb and meat liquor to baking dish.

Mashed potatoes: Peel potatoes place in cold water so they don't brown, until ready to cut up. Place quartered potatoes in large pot filled with salted cold water and bring to a boil. Cooking for an additional 5-10mins until a knife can easily go thru them. Once cooked, tender to the bite, drain potatoes and immediately put back into the hot pot with the butter and cream cheese. (The heat from the potatoes will melt the butter and cream cheese.) Add milk and mash with hand masher or blend with mixer until combined and fluffy. Add nutmeg and salt/pepper to the mix. Season with additional salt and pepper to your taste. Spread mashed potatoes on top of vegetable/meat mixture. Bake in pre-heated 375°F/200°C oven for 20 minutes or until the top of shepherds pie is gently browned and meat is bubbling. * Can grate fresh Parmesan or cheddar cheese on top, but not necessary.

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